How can I help my 10 year old son? Last year, teachers at his school, including the psychologist, complained about Collin's behavior during class(talking out of turn, making odd noises, fidgeting). To satisfy them, I set up an appt. with a Dr. of pediatrics psychology for an accurate diagnosis. She diagnosed him with some ADHD, but also diagnosed him with clumbliness and one that includes slower development of the portion of his brain that effects his corrdination and thinking pattern. This explains the problems he has with math and english. Anyway, I accepted the Dr.'s advice and placed Collin on Ritalin. We started at a low dose, than increased it gradually to the max. His teachers and myself noticed no changes from the Ritalin. I therefore discontinued it. His Dr. now has him on Straterra at the lowest dose, but I have to double it soon, than increase it to its maximum dosage. My question and concern is that if the Ritalin did not affect my son, and his school grades are all passing, should I continue medicating him just so his teachers don't have to deal with his behavior? I could really use some suggestions and advice.
Did you already change his diet? Studies have shown that in kids with borderline ADHD, taking out food colorings, stuff like aspartame, and sugars does better than medicine. Give that a try if you haven't already - it may eliminate the need for chemicals!
I have to say that I felt very frustrated reading your post. I am a teacher (subbing this year). If I recommended every child I ever had that was fidgity or made annoying noises in class, I would have recommended almost every student!!! I will never forget one child who was sooo hyper he was in constant motion. I accommodated him by letting him stand up to do his work. He made good grades but could NOT sit still. Because his grades were good, it didn't even cross my mind that he needed medication!
Since your son has good grades, I wouldn't use meds. (I know they help some kids but I do believe they are over used.) I would look into diet changes or vitamin supplements that might help. Find a nutritionist who can help you or do research online.
There are over 80 meds that are commonly used for ADHD, because they just plain and simple don't work for everyone, and even when they do work; they work *differently* with everyone. Neurochemistry is a touchy thing. We've all got our own unique combos and patterns. Adderal, for example, has the nickname 'Adderage', because aproximately half the ADHD people who take it start having *major* temper issues. Why is it still on the market? Because the OTHER half it doesn't affect their mood at all!
It's VERY common/ expected that when you start meds 3 things will happen:
1) You'll start out at the lowest dose possible (to double check for allergies, negative reactions, side effects at the lowest possible level), work your way up to BEYOND what you want to be taking, and then work your way down to the level that 'feels right'. There's a "sweet spot" with meds where you nixing the max of the things you don't like, while leaving the max of the things you do. It takes about 3 months, usually, to do the work up and work down.
2) You're going to be trying 2-5 meds your first year unless you get LUCKY. There's no 'test' to see what med will be best for you, nor what side effects you're going to have from them. Side effects are often GOOD things (like being able to sleep when you want to, or not having to fight to control your temper), but all meds have them. They all FEEL different.
((By max dose... you're saying 160mgs of Straterra??? In a TEN yo? I've been on that dose. Standard dosing is 80mg))
3) You'll STILL NEED TO be learning coping mechanisms. Meds aren't a magic wand. The right ones are an 'easy button' which make things a gazillion times easier... but you still have to WORK.
It's reeeeeeally common for 1 or more meds to 'have no effect', it's also reeeeeeally common for 1 or more meds to have BAD effect (aka make things harder). Those are the WRONG meds, or at the WRONG dosing levels (and higher isn't better. Neuro drugs aren't like taking tylenol with a headache. If it isn't working taking more works with pain killers, but sometimes when a med 'isn't working' you take LESS with neuro drugs).
Now... personally... I'm ADHD-c, and I don't take meds. I DO take stimulants (caffeine and nicotine)... i'm not chemically free by ANY means, and my son is med free (but he has an inhaler for asthma-type that works wonders in conjunction with caffeine). IF he were in most awayschools (we homeschool) he would soooooo need to be on meds. Otherwise it would be a waste of time for himself and his teachers. ((Note the "most")).
I am NEITHER PRO NOR ANTI meds. Meds are tools. They can be useful, or get in the way, depending on the situation.
What my mum did (and what *I* would do if I decided to send my son to awayschool) is this: We'd try out different meds over school breaks. That way she (I) could SEE what the effects were, monitor the dose to effect, and we could make a joint decision together on whether or not to try them at school.
This is NOT a "teacher-choice", this is a PERSONAL AND FAMILY choice on whether or not to medicate.
For MYSELF we found that the best option was gifted/AP classes (and that's a standard ADHD trick, we get bored in normal classes and flunk them out of sheer flatline not paying attention) and a boatload of caffeine. Many many meds "worked" (as in I could become a 'model student'), BUT I LOST too many of the aspects I like about myself (not a zombie by any means, but ADHD has a lot of POSITIVE aspects as well). As an adult very very LOW level meds have been wonderful ((I'm off the charts scale wise, whenever I decide to try a new med my team always plans on going to twice the normal levels to the max dose, and working down)), and ONE med has been perfect!!!!! (at double the normal level). But it's a logistical nightmare to acquire because it's HIGHLY regulated (hello, coca). Single pharmacy ONLY, traveling the dogs go after me at the airport (and I travel a lot), travel time is limited to how many pills I can be prescribed (because of that single pharmacy rule). UNLESS I MOVE TO THE ANDES (where people chew coca leaves, and there's coca tea, and it's just not strictly regulated like it is here) I won't be on my personal 'easy button'. I'll drink coke/pepsi/mtnDew and smoke cigarettes/chew gum. It's enough to take the edge off.
In the meantime.... check out www.additudemag.com for coping mechanisms AND med info. A person doesn't HAVE to be on meds for their adhd... it just takes longer / is harder to learn things that are easy for neurotypical kids.
I happen to believe that ADHD is a chemical imbalance in the brain. Much like Diabetes is a disease of the body or some other biological disease that can effect anyone. I believe that if the doc says he needs medication and is qualified to make that call then you need to keep trying meds until you find the one that works for your child. It is very frustrating for him to try and focus hours per day on what is going on around him, to try and follow what is being said. It is miserable for him. Often many of the different meds don't work but when you find the one that does you will see a marked difference in his attention span and his performance.
My friend Gayle wrote a book that you should read. It is very informative about how it is for a child with ADHD.
http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/straight-talk-about...
Has behavior modification therapy ever been discussed or tried before trying the meds?
I would try learning ways to correct his behavioral challenges before starting meds. Often times it's a combo of both that works best.
Maybe ask your ped or psych doc about that?
Even just looking on line you can find ways to help him modify his behavior.
:)
Check out the following:
Especially this portion of the site:
http://www.dianecraft.org/article-009.htm
http://www.dianecraft.org/article-001.htm
http://www.dianecraft.org/article-012.htm
Also check out Dr. Mercola's website regularly. He writes about environmental causes of ADHD like symptoms and the prevalance in kids today.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/1...
Watch the video on today's site. Very disturbing food for thought about a possible cause of the sudden numerous cases of ADHD, Autism/Aspbergers, and motor neurological disorders in children:
In my opinion, medicating a child should be a last resort. Is he a generally happy child? Because, honestly, he sounds a lot like my 9 year old step son, who has never been diagnosed with anything like this. I say, if he is understanding what he is being taught, he is allowing the other students to learn, and the medication has made no noticable difference, then my son would be of the meds. Has anyone suggested any type of therapy to help with his corridination? If not, that may be something you can talk to your doctor about. Also, do you limit his television time? We had to do that with my step son, and once he started being more active at home, finding other activities to occupy his mind, it actually helped him settle down a little bit in class. His mom recently had him start helping prepare supper, instead of watching tv while she cooked. Of course, with your son's clumsiness, that might not be the best idea for you! lol Anyway, I wish you the best of luck, and I hope you find what works best for your son and family.
So many thoughts...
1. Medication is for your son, not his teachers. If it helps his "motor" to idle (not run), and lets him concentrate on the input of his teachers and peers, he will learn better, work better in class groups, and feel less stress. Medication is not just for school hours, but also for weekends and summers. ADHD makes all the organized activities of life more difficult and therefore is a life condition, not just a school condition.
2. What is the school providing to help him with his coordination and thinking patterns? Has he had an IEP designed for him, to help him do more than "pass" in his grades?
3. Have movement opportunities been built into his school day and home time? These are an important part of the IEP for ADHD and coordination building.
4. I hope you receive advice that works for you and Collin, and encourage you to learn about the many ways of changing Collin's schedule and routines to help him do, and feel, his very best.
Straterra and Ritalin are completely different drugs so one could work where the other does not. So there is reason to continue.
Diet could help if he doesn't actually have ADD but if you change his diet now you will not know if it is the meds or the diet.
I am very confused about the sentence "should I continue medicating him just so his teachers don't have to deal with his behavior" So there was a behavioural change from the Ritalin? You said none of you noticed any changes. Which is it?
You also sound very angry at the teachers for "complaining" and "not wanting to deal" with your son. This is something you will need to address in some manner. I am a teacher and I can say from experience that when a parent approaches me as a partner, working together can be wonderful and productive. Those parents who come with a laundry list of demands of this, that and the other for their child seem to have no idea what it takes to hold the attention of 28 kids all day every day and teach them something as well. You and his teacher are both experts who should work together, not a cross-purposes.
The other point I would like to raise is that ADHD drugs are not intended to be taken forever. The idea is to help your son learn more productive patterns of behaviour while his brain is more receptive thanks to the drug. He should be working with a behavioural therapist who can help him develop some coping strategies and new patterns, since at some point he will no longer take the medication.
I may sound nuts, but I really think it's worth a try rather than keeping the kid on drugs. Wait until the meds are completely out of his system, like maybe 48hours-week. Then have him tested for being gifted, because gifted kids will sometimes act out when they are bored. Also, in roll him in a traditional martial arts class like Kung Fu or Karate. Preferably Kung Fu if you can find one. When looking for a martial arts instructor, make sure the first words out of their mouths are self-control and/or self-discipline rather than self-defense. Traditional Kung Fu is more about the individual rather than how many punches and kicks you can hit the other kid with. Martial arts also give a child self-confidence and a chance to burn off all that extra energy. Some martial arts teachers will go as far as to talk about diet and nutrition as well.
Ask that the child study team from your school do an evaluation. There's no charge for it, and that will help to get you all on the same page. The ADHD medications work differently so because he had trouble with Ritalin doesn't mean that he will have trouble with them all. I'd want to be sure there were no other alternatives, but in some cases, the ADHD meds are a godsend. I'm a school nurse and have dealt with ADHD kids for years.
Strattera is good in younger children, but I have found with my experience personally and professionally that Concerta or Adderall are better for treating symptoms of ADHD...along with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Medication alone is like putting a band-aid on a bullet hole. Your son needs to learn how to behave while on the medication. Check into his diet as well..http://www.feingold.org. Certain foods can contribute to and mask the symptoms of ADHD.
I used to work for as a TSS (wrap-a-round) for children ages 6-14 in their schools and homes. Teachers are quick to diagnose ADHD by ruling out just plain boredom and not being challenged enough and parents think this behavior is just how their children are made. (I was one of those parents..lol).
My youngest son had lead poisoning when he was 4. Prior to finding out I just thought that since my 2 oldest children didn't give me trouble that this one would be the exception. Once we found out an went through the treatment for 6 months, he was diagnosed with ADHD, ADD, and ODD. From age 6, he has been on Ritalin, Strattara, Menatade (sp?), Concerta, Adderall, Abilify, and back to Concerta when he was 13-14. Concerta worked the best for him out of them all. The doctor told him when he was 14 that he did not have to take medication if he didn't want to since he was of age to decide. He stopped therapy and medication cold turkey...ticked me right off! The next 4 years were HELL! He's almost 19 now and lives on his own. He refuses to ask for help from agencies because he would have to get back on the medication and therapy to receive it....so he's struggling.
Try Concerta. The Doctor cannot tell you know if you insist...if he does, get a different doctor...and check into getting a wrap-a-round.
You are not medicating your son to make teachers'life easier. Please, please find another medical opinion about this as soon as possible.
Get him off the Straterra! heard children do not do well on that stuff. I would 1) get a second opinion and 2) did you consider 'not' medicating him? I seriously doubt that medication will fix his math and english problems. Maybe some extra attention in school would help? If you have to do the medication route- try focalin.
